Genres 101: Romance

Scottish Highlands, 1945. Claire Randall, a former British combat nurse, is just back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon when she walks through a standing stone in one of the ancient circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach--an "outlander"--in a Scotland torn by war and raiding clans in the year of Our Lord . . . 1743.

Don Tillman, a professor of genetics, sets up a project designed to find him the perfect wife, starting with a questionnaire that has to be adjusted a little as he goes along. Then he meets Rosie, who is everything he's not looking for in a wife, but she ends up his friend as he helps her try and find her biological father.

Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life -- steady boyfriend, close family -- who has never been farther afield than her village. She takes a job working for ex-Master of the Universe Will Traynor, now wheelchair-bound after a motorcycle accident. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, she sets out to show him that life is still worth living.

Internationally bestselling author McFarlane delivers a funny, romantic, heartfelt novel perfect for fanyone who loves Bridget Jones. Reeling from the humiliation of a double dumping in one day, Georgina takes the next job that comes her way--bartender in a newly opened pub. There's only one problem: it's run by the guy she fell in love with years ago. And--make that two problems--he doesn't remember her.

Every so often a love story so captures our hearts that it becomes more than a story-it becomes an experience to remember forever. The Notebook is such a book. It is a celebration of how passion can be ageless and timeless, a tale that moves us to laughter and tears and makes us believe in true love all over again...

At thirty-one, Noah Calhoun, back in coastal North Carolina after World War II, is haunted by images of the girl he lost more than a decade earlier. At twenty-nine, socialite Allie Nelson is about to marry a wealthy lawyer, but she cannot stop thinking about the boy who long ago stole her heart. Thus begins the story of a love so enduring and deep it can turn tragedy into triumph, and may even have the power to create a miracle...

The sudden and powerful attraction between a teenage boy and a summer guest at his parents' house on the Italian Riviera has a profound and lasting influence that will mark them both for a lifetime.

In a sleepy seaside town in Maine, recently widowed Eveleth "Evvie" Drake rarely leaves her large, painfully empty house nearly a year after her husband's death in a car crash. Everyone in town, even her best friend, Andy, thinks grief keeps her locked inside, and Evvie doesn't correct them.

Winner of England's Booker Prize, a coast-to-coast bestseller, and the literary sensation of the year, Possession is a novel of wit and romance, at once an intellectual mystery and a triumphant love story. Revolving around a pair of young scholars researching the lives of two Victorian poets, Byatt creates a haunting counterpoint of passion and ideas.

The blaze that night at her family's pizzeria changed young Reena Hale's life. Neighbors and relatives would help the Hales rebuild. The Baltimore authorities would arrest the arsonist responsible. But as Reena beheld the fire's brutal beauty and destructive power, her destiny began to take shape. She would understand and master its terrible force-and one day become an investigator herself.

Jina Modell definitely doesn't feel like a "Babe," especially when she's working with the gruff, no-nonsense Levi Butcher, team leader for the GO-Team. When the Syrian base where she's stationed is attacked, Jina manages to escape. Levi would never willingly leave a soldier behind, especially a brave woman whose sweet voice haunts his every thought. Once he discovers Jina is alive, the tenacious warrior will walk into fire to save this intriguing woman who has captured his heart.

Television correspondent Alix Phillips dodges bullets and breaks rules to bring the most important news to the world--from riots in America to protests on the streets of Tehran. With her daughter in college, and working alongside cameraman Ben Chapman, a deeply private ex-Navy SEAL, Alix revels in the risks and whirlwind pace of her work. But her latest assignment puts her at the center of an explosive story that will reshape many lives, including her own: investigating damning allegations involving the Vice President of the United States, Tony Clark.

When his mother became President, Alex Claremont-Diaz was promptly cast as the American equivalent of a young royal. Handsome, charismatic, genius--his image is pure millennial-marketing gold for the White House. There's only one problem: Alex has a beef with an actual prince, Henry, across the pond. And when the tabloids get hold of a photo involving an Alex-Henry altercation, U.S./British relations take a turn for the worse. Heads of family, state, and other handlers devise a plan for damage control: staging a truce between the two rivals. What at first begins as a fake, Instragramable friendship grows deeper, and more dangerous, than either Alex or Henry could have imagined. Soon Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret romance with a surprisingly unstuffy Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations and begs the question: Can love save the world after all? Where do we find the courage, and the power, to be the people we are meant to be? And how can we learn to let our true colors shine through?

Desi Lee believes anything is possible if you have a plan, but she's a disaster at romance whose botched attempts at flirting have become legendary with her friends. So Desi turns to Korean dramas, where the hapless heroine always seems to end up in the arms of her true love by episode ten, for guidance. Armed with her "K Drama Steps to True Love," Desi goes after the moody, elusive artist Luca Drakos. Boat rescues, love triangles, and staged car crashes ensue, but everything becomes more complicated when the fun and games turn to true feels.

After a devastating sort-of-breakup, Millie Quint decides to apply for scholarships to boarding schools. She's accepted into an exclusive school in Scotland, where the country is dreamy and green, and the students think her American-ness is adorable. The only problem: Mille's roommate Flora is a total princess. And an actual princess. Of Scotland. At first, the girls can't stand each other, but before Millie knows it, she's entered what could be a new chapter in her love life. But the chances of happily-ever-afters are slim; after all, real life isn't a fairy tale...

With graduation behind her, Dimple Shah is ready for a break from her Mamma's obsession with her finding the "Ideal Indian Husband." Dimple knows her parents must respect her principles on some level, since they're paying for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers. Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him, he's totally on board. Dimple and Rishi think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in unexpected ways.

Nate Hargraves is a behind-the-scenes kind of guy. That's why he dreams of being a songwriter instead of a singer. But then he learns that his ex-boyfriend will be at his cousin's lavish destination wedding in South Africa, and he does not want to face this one solo. Jai Patel, Nate's best friend (and secret crush), has his own problems. The lead singer of his band quit weeks before a contest that promised to be their big break. But Nate rocks Jai's world when he agrees to sing with the band. In return, Jai volunteers to be Nate's travel buddy around South Africa, a buffer against his ex, and his plus-one at the wedding.

Everyone thinks they know Libby Strout, the girl once dubbed 'America's Fattest Teen'. But no one's taken the time to get to see who she really is. Everyone thinks they know confident, charming Jack Masselin too. What no one knows is that Jack has a secret- he can't recognize faces. When the two get tangled up in a cruel high school game which lands them in group counseling, Libby and Jack are both angry, and then surprised. Because the more time they spend together, the less alone they feel.

Alex Blackwood knows how to get the girl, but not how to keep her. Molly Parker knows she's in love with the impossibly cool Cora Myers, but she hasn't actually talked to her. But when Alex, fresh off a bad (but hopefully not permanent) breakup, discovers Molly's hidden crush, they realize they might have a common interest. Maybe if Alex helps Molly get her dream girl to fall for her, she can prove to her ex that she's not a selfish flirt. As the two embark on their plan to get their girls to fall for them, they both begin to wonder if maybe they're the ones falling...for each other.

When an unlikely friendship is sparked between relatively popular Kit Lowell and socially isolated David Drucker, everyone is surprised, most of all Kit and David. Kit appreciates David's blunt honesty--in fact, she finds it bizarrely refreshing. David welcomes Kit's attention and her inquisitive nature. When she asks for his help figuring out the how and why of her dad's tragic car accident, David is all in. But neither of them can predict what they'll find. Can their friendship survive the truth?

Felix desperately wants to know what it's like to be in love. What's worse is that, even though he is proud of his identity, Felix secretly fears that he's one marginalization too many--Black, queer, and transgender--to live happily-ever-after. When an anonymous student publicly posts Felix's deadname alongside images of him before he transitioned, Felix comes up with a plan for revenge. But he didn't count on his catfish scenario landing him in a quasi-love triangle. As he navigates his feelings, Felix begins a journey of self-discovery that helps redefine his most important relationship: how he feels about himself.

It's 2002, a year after 9/11. It's an especially turbulent time for Shirin, a sixteen-year-old Muslim girl. She's tired of the rude stares, the degrading comments--even the physical violence--she endures as a result of her race, her religion, and her hijab. So she refuses to let anyone close enough to hurt her. Instead, she drowns her frustrations in music. But then she meets Ocean James, the first person in forever who really seems to want to get to know her. It terrifies Shirin--they seem to come from irreconcilable worlds--and she's had her guard up for so long that she's not sure she can let it down.

Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he's pushed out--without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he's never met.

It's the perfect idea for a romantic week together: traveling across America by train. But then Hugo's girlfriend dumps him. Her parting gift: the tickets for their long-planned trip, booked under her name. Meanwhile, Mae is reeling from being rejected from film school. When she stumbles across Hugo's ad for a replacement Margaret Campbell (her full name!), she's certain it's the adventure she needs to shake off her disappointment. What starts as a convenient arrangement soon turns into something more, but can Hugo and Mae keep their feelings for each other from getting derailed?

Sam Dickson is a charismatic actress with big plans for her future. Ros Shew is a loner and one of the smartest people in school. Christian Powell is the darling of the high school soccer team. He's not the best with communication, which is why he and Sam broke up; but he's genuine, effusive, and kind, which is why they're still best friends. When Christian falls for Ros, he enlists Sam's help to get through to her, and Sam agrees to coach him from the sidelines. But as Ros starts to suspect Christian is acting differently, and Sam starts to realize the complexity of her own feelings, their fragile relationships threaten to fall apart.

Twelve-year-old Suzy Swanson wades through her intense grief over the loss of her best friend by investigating the rare jellyfish she is convinced was responsible for her friend's death.

"Two smart girls in one small town use their combined genius to liven up their world--one prank at a time"-- Provided by publisher.

As Bridge makes her way through seventh grade on Manhattan's Upper West Side with her best friends, curvacious Em, crusader Tab, and a curious new friend--or more than friend--Sherm, she finds the answer she has been seeking since she barely survived an accident at age eight: "What is my purpose?"

On the first day of eighth grade Amelia finds a letter that her older sister Clara wrote to herself before she drowned, and it contains a list of the things Clara planned to do in her own eighth grade year--so Amelia, with the help of her best friend Taylor, resolves to complete the list, in the hope that it will bring some closure and ease her still raw emotions.

When a struggling student teacher assigns a group project, seven-year-old Just Grace gets so involved in working with Grace W. and Grace F. that she fails to understand why she and her best friend, Mimi, are drifting apart.

"A story about a girl who, with the help of the dog of her dreams, discovers that family doesn't always have to be related--they are simply people who love you for who you are"-- Provided by publisher.

Callie rides an emotional roller coaster while serving on the stage crew for a middle school production of Moon over Mississippi as various relationships start and end, and others never quite get going.

Pax and Peter have been inseparable ever since Peter rescued him as a kit. But one day, the unimaginable happens: Peter's dad enlists in the military and makes him return the fox to the wild.

At his grandfather's house, three hundred miles away from home, Peter knows he isn't where he should be—with Pax. He strikes out on his own despite the encroaching war, spurred by love, loyalty, and grief, to be reunited with his fox.

Meanwhile Pax, steadfastly waiting for his boy, embarks on adventures and discoveries of his own. . . .

Follows the adventures of Kristy and the other members of the Baby-sitters Club as they deal with crank calls, uncontrollable two-year-olds, wild pets, and parents who do not always tell the truth.

Shannon and Adrienne have been best friends ever since they were little. But one day, Adrienne starts hanging out with Jen, the most popular girl in class and the leader of a circle of friends called The Group. Everyone in The Group wants to be Jen's #1, and some girls would do anything to stay on top . . . even if it means bullying others.

A lightning strike made Lucy, twelve, a math genius but, after years of homeschooling, her grandmother enrolls her in middle school and she learns that life is more than numbers.

Ida May is surprised and angry when Elizabeth, her old best friend who moved away and did not answer any of her letters, shows up at summer camp with a new look and hopes of reestablishing their former relationship.

When he is wrongly accused of gravely injuring his baby half-sister, thirteen-year-old Branwell loses his power of speech and only his friend Connor is able to reach him and uncover the truth about what really happened.

Two thirteen-year-old boys share neighborhood adventures, complaints about their older sisters, family secrets, and even guilt that bind them together in a special friendship.

A Pakistani-American Muslim girl struggles to stay true to her family's vibrant culture while simultaneously blending in at school after tragedy strikes her community in this sweet and moving middle grade novel from the award-winning author of It's Ramadan, Curious George and Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns.

Amina has never been comfortable in the spotlight. She is happy just hanging out with her best friend, Soojin. Except now that she's in middle school everything feels different. Soojin is suddenly hanging out with Emily, one of the "cool" girls in the class, and even talking about changing her name to something more "American." Does Amina need to start changing too? Or hiding who she is to fit in? While Amina grapples with these questions, she is devastated when her local mosque is vandalized.